The Business of Travel

The Official Blog of the Global Business Travel Association

Concerns are emerging that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is not protecting traveler data after conducting searches of electronic devices, Skift notes.

Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy is acquiring luxury hotel group Belmond in a $3.2 billion USD deal, CNBC reports. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2019.

Also on the acquisition front, Phocuswire notes Google acquired Where is My Train?, a mobile app in India that provides train timetables and sells rail seats to commuters.

According to Bloomberg, a Boeing 737 jetliner was damaged midair shortly before approaching its destination on Wednesday. Aeromexico Group is currently investigating whether a drone collided with the aircraft.

Brasil’s fourth largest airline, Avianca Brasil, filed for bankruptcy on Monday, Aviation International News notes. The airline cited rising fuel costs, currency fluctuations and the depressed economy for its difficulties.

Average compensation for U.S. travel buyers remained stable at $108,000 between 2017 and 2018, Buying Business Travel writes. GBTA’s annual Compensation and Benefits study reveals salaries, bonuses and benefits for U.S. buyers and identifies disparities in pay based on demographics like gender, education, region, and position.

According to USA TODAY, Delta plans to ditch zone boarding in 2019. Instead, the airline will board passengers based on ticket type.

Last month, airline executives from Finnair, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic shared their thoughts on the future of aviation. The executives discussed NDC and the potential impact that a no-deal Brexit will have on aviation and their day-to-day operations.

Another Friday, another Week in Review post to keep you updated on the latest business travel news.

According to Buying Business Travel, a new app for disabled train passengers is currently in development. The app will track passengers throughout their journey, making it easy for staff to know when and where to meet them for assistance. Currently, passengers must book assistance, and staff are given a print-out of requests every morning.

A new survey reveals 77% of airports and 71% of airlines are either researching biometrics or planning to implement programs to identify travelers using facial recognition or other biometric means, Business Traveller reports.

The United States and Australia will launch a pilot program that allows Australian citizens to apply for Global Entry, Big Island Now writes. The Global Entry program allows for expedited customs clearance for pre-screened travelers.

In other airport news, Milan Linate Airport will close for three months next summer due to runway and terminal building renovations, Business Traveller writes.

According to The Washington Post, the Senate on Wednesday approved H.R. 302, a bill that provides long-term funding for the FAA and prohibits voice calls on planes, among other things. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee states that the President will sign the bill during a 2:45pm signing ceremony on Friday.

Airbnb wants to give its host the opportunity to own a piece of the company, TechCrunch reports. The home-sharing company is attempting to change the SEC’s Rule 701, which governs ownership of equity in companies.

According to CNN, Hong Kong launched a new high-speed rail link to mainland China on Sunday. The $10.75 billion dollar project is controversial because it allows mainland immigration officers to enforce Chinese law on Hong Kong soil.

On this week’s podcast, we talk business travel payment trends. Airplus’ Kathy Cantwell and GBTA Senior Research Analyst Mark Sharoff talk through key highlights from a recent payments study and discuss the future of virtual payments.

Uber has been fined $148 million due to a cyberattack that exposed the data of millions of customers and drivers, Buying Business writes.

On Wednesday, the House passed a five-year FAA reauthorization bill, WTOP notes. Among other things, the bill prohibits voice calls on planes, states that only passengers enrolled in trusted traveler programs can use PreCheck lanes, and does not increase the passenger facility charge (PFC).

Grow your network with GBTA Ladders! This unique team mentor program affords members the opportunity to expand their professional development and to gain lifelong friends. Don’t miss out on your chance to get involved. Submit your application by September 28.

The next time you find yourself irritated because of a delayed flight, put yourself in the shoes of a traveler in the early 1900s. Before the era of mass air travel began, travelers relied primarily on ocean liners for long-distance journeys, and Low-Tech Magazinenotes a trip from London to New York would take three days and 12 hours to complete. Today, that trip takes as little as seven hours and 40 minutes, thanks to the commercialization of airplanes.

From horse-drawn carriages in the 18th century to gas-powered automobiles in the 19th century to flying around the world at a moment’s notice today, the way we get around has altered dramatically. The below timeline highlights a few milestones throughout the history of travel, courtesy of the University of Houston, CNN, Motor Trend, and Daimler.

As travel has evolved and increasingly connected our world, so has our Association. Over the years, GBTA has provided a platform for managed travel professionals to share best practices, policies and solutions to the industry’s greatest issues. While these posts are meant to look back and reflect on our history, we look forward to what the future holds, for both our organization and the travel industry.

Visit the GBTA Blog every Thursday for more throwback posts! Interested in submitting a Convention memory for a chance to be featured at #GBTA2018 in San Diego? Here’s how. You can also share your Convention memories with us on Twitter using #TBT and tagging @GlobalBTA.

According to The Korea Times, Korea plans on putting an end to OTAs’ unfair refund policies, which prevent customers from changing reservations or claiming refunds in the case of cancellations. The Fair Trade Commission suggests that agencies can still sell the rooms to other customers if the reservations are cancelled early enough, meaning the current policies infringe upon customers’ rights.

Marriott, Accor, Southwest and Virgin Australia were all voted in as the top loyalty programs at the Freddie Awards last week, Skift notes.

Great news for travelers flying through Chicago: O’Hare and Midway international airports are now offering free unlimited Wi-Fi, USA TODAY shares.

On this week’s episode of The Business of Travel, we chat about how improving the traveler experience can boost travel policy compliance. Jeanne Liu highlights research findings that show the connection between traveler satisfaction and policy compliance, while Jason Moskal of Hotel Indigo and Even Hotel Brands for IHG shares lessons learned in building a brand around creating the best possible travel experience.

The results are in: the world’s busiest air route is a one-hour connection from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore. According to Business Traveller, carriers operated 30,537 flights over the 12 months to February 2018.

According to Fox News, Singapore Airlines is prepping to launch the world’s longest non-stop flight by the end of 2018. The Singapore-New York route would be 9,521 miles long and take 19 hours to complete.

Adding to a growing list of industry breaches, Delta revealed a data breach that may have exposed credit card information for hundreds of thousands of customers. According to The Verge, an online support company that powers the airline’s chat platform suffered a malware attack last fall, but failed to inform Delta until mid-March 2018.

In 2017, over 40 million people were exploited in some form of human trafficking, an industry that brings in $150 billion in illegal profits worldwide. Traveler awareness has the potential to create a meaningful impact to end child prostitution and trafficking, and here’s how to recognize the signs of human trafficking.

Nearly two-thirds of travelers today are women, reports the George Washington University School of Business. Many of these women travel solo for business, with the numbers doubling in the past five years.

Today, all travelers face increasing risks but women specifically may face their own unique situations. Organizations must adapt to support the increase in women travelers and may need to provide additional training measures to adequately prepare and support women travelers so they can safely and confidently conduct business.

In addition, the option to refuse to travel to a destination where the risk exceeds the traveler’s tolerance level must be offered and accepted.

While the majority of business travel experiences go off without a hitch, organizations should identify that female travelers may have different travel needs and be prepared to provide the appropriate level of care and support for those traveling alone or with other women.

Airbnb is rolling out a feature called Pay Less Up Front that enables guests to split their payments, The Next Web reports. Guests can pay 50 percent of the bill upfront and pay the remainder just before check-in.